El Verde Nguyen, 34, of San Jose, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to produce child pornography after police reportedly found a hidden camera installed in a restroom at his arts studio.

SAN JOSE — A well-liked private arts teacher has been arrested on child porn allegations after investigators reportedly found a hidden camera installed in the bathroom of his studio, according to San Jose police.

El Verde Nguyen, 34, of San Jose, was arrested Monday on suspicion of attempting to manufacture child pornography, a felony, and putting a hidden camera in a restroom, a misdemeanor. Nguyen is currently out of jail custody.

The business where Nguyen worked, Enlightenment Studio, announced on its website that it was closing “temporarily throughout the duration of the investigation.”

“The studio is cooperating fully with law enforcement as the judicial process moves forward. The safety of our students is our priority,” reads a statement to parents by Anhthu Huynh-Bui, who co-runs the business.

San Jose police were alerted to the suspicions Sunday when an anonymous tipster dropped off an SD card with at least one sexually explicit image of a child under 10 years old, said Sgt. Brian Spears, commander of the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The next day, detectives went to the studio on Toyon Avenue in the east foothills.

“Due to the situation of children being involved, we took immediate action,” Spears said.

Police watched the site and watched as Nguyen reportedly dropped off three children at the studio, then drove away. Officers stopped and detained him a short distance away, Spears said.

Afterward, Spears said when detectives searched the premises, “a small recording device was found in the restroom.”

It was unclear how long the camera had been in the only restroom at the studio; police declined to release further details about the purported recording setup. Spears also said detectives are working to identify the child in the images, which have also been shared with the FBI for further analysis.

The studio is described online as an arts center that offers instruction in music and visual artistry as well as academic tutoring. It hosts an after-school program but also caters to adults.

“El Verde, the owner, is a quirky dude who’s really patient and good with children. He’s usually giving music lessons but you can find him overseeing the studio (throughout) the day too,” wrote a Yelp reviewer named Alex P.

The reach of the allegations, including the number of victims and any other work the suspect did with children, remain under investigation.

Robert Salonga is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering crime and public safety for The Mercury News. A San Jose native, he attended UCLA and has a Master's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. Reach him the low-tech way at 408-920-5002.

A group affiliated with the online activist group known as Anonymous on Thursday posted what it says are the private cellphone numbers and email addresses for 22 Republican members of Congress in a bid to push for President Donald Trump’s impeachment.